


Someone Better

by Quinnion



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Accidental Voyeurism, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, Break Up, But he doesn't know it yet, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Falling In Love, Galaxy Garrison, Gay Keith (Voltron), Getting Together, Insecurity, Internal Conflict, Internalized Homophobia, Keith (Voltron)-centric, Love Confessions, M/M, Making Out, Masturbation, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Orphan Keith (Voltron), Pining Keith (Voltron), Pre-Canon, Pre-Kerberos Mission, Pre-Relationship, Season 7 episode 1 spoilers, Self Confidence Issues, Self-Discovery, Supportive Shiro (Voltron), Teenager Keith (Voltron), anger issues, not really tho, yall know this is about Keith
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-10
Updated: 2018-08-10
Packaged: 2019-06-24 15:55:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15633903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quinnion/pseuds/Quinnion
Summary: Meeting Shiro changed Keith's life forever and propels him on a journey of self-discovery and hopeless love (or so he thinks), never leaving Shiro's side through it all.Alternative title is Saving Each Other





	Someone Better

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Voltron Season 7 Day!! I started writing this pretty lengthy one-shot when the first episode of the new season premiered and I saw some clips online. I wrote this before the new season came out so some stuff might not be accurate and I don't know if I'll make edits later but we'll see, it depends how much I would need to change. Now that we have a pretty full picture of Keith's past with Shiro, I wanted to write a collection of scenes to explore how their relationship might evolve. Also a section of the second scene is based off of [ slouph's](http://slouph.tumblr.com/) gorgeous [ fanart](http://slouph.tumblr.com/post/176121573981/awakening-feelings) so check it out! I hope you enjoy the fic!

Desert dust comes flying off the worn metal as Shiro brushes his hand over the circular wings of his hoverbike, bending over slightly to clean out the dust from inside the vents. He’s pulled away from his task when he hears the sound of a throat clearing from behind him.

“Huh?” Shiro mutters as he turns around, recognizing the boy from the high school class, “Oh, hey again. It’s Keith, right?” he asks, remembering him because of his natural flying ability and his rather small stature and still young looking face. 

Keith holds his arms by his sides, his fists clenching and unclenching nervously, and meets Shiro’s gaze despite being slightly intimated, “Yeah. That’s me.”

Crossing his arms causally, Shiro leans back against the side of his old hoverbike, “So, what do you need? I hope my talk wasn’t too boring,” he says with a light laugh.

“Well uh, Officer Shirogane, I-”

“Just called me Shiro,” he interrupts, “That title makes me feel old, you know.”

Keith furrows his brow slightly, not used to being allowed to call anyone older than him by anything other than their last name, but nods, “O-oh okay, Shiro. I guess I just wanted to talk to you about the Galaxy Garrison and what you said to me earlier,” he explains with a shrug of his shoulders, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

Shiro’s smile widens at that and he nods, “Of course, I’d love to talk. What do you wanna know?”

“Um well, I guess,” Keith hesitates, “I mean, you said you think I should become a pilot there. What did you mean by that?”

Dry wind blows Shiro’s hair back and Keith doesn’t fail to notice, distracted for a moment until he’s pulled back by the man’s laugh, “What did you think I meant? I saw how well you did in that simulation and I think you really have what it takes to become a top pilot at the Garrison after you graduate.”

Keith looks up at him in surprise, “Really? What if I’m not good at it?” he asks hesitantly; no one has ever believed he’d be good at anything except for his father.

Shiro straightens up, moving a bit closer to the boy, “I’m positive you will be good at it, I promise I’ll have your back. And there’s no harm in trying it out,” he reassures him as he puts his strong hand on his shoulder.

The touch startles Keith and he glances down at his hand, a warm feeling blooming in his stomach, “It’s not like I’ll be able to pay for college anyways,” he mutters before nodding slowly, “I’ll think about it.”

Noticing Keith’s reaction, Shiro lets his hand drop from his thin shoulder and smiles, a twinge of sadness in his eyes, “I’m glad. If you’re still a minor when you want to apply, you’ll need your parents’ permission but I can always talk to them if there are issues.”

Keith’s face falls, what he said obviously having struck a chord, and he looks down at the ground, “I don’t have parents,” he mumbles, glancing at Shiro’s face to see a confused look, “I’m an orphan.”

Shiro’s eyes widen and he swallows thickly, his smile fading, “Oh. I’m sorry,” Keith shrugs in response, “Since you’re a ward of the state it’ll be more complicated to get approval but I’ll figure that out for you. Don’t you worry about it.”

The few moments of awkward silence get to Keith and he points to the hoverbike, “That’s yours?”

Thankful for the opportunity to change the subject, Shiro gestures for Keith to come closer, “Yeah! I saved up for nearly a year when I was a teenager to get it. You can touch it if you want,” he adds when Keith hesitates.

Keith runs his hand over the surface, some of the paint fading and chipped, “How fast can it go?”

Shiro chuckles and takes off the safety guards keeping the machine from turning on or accidently shifting. _Definitely a fighter pilot._

“Not as fast as the newer models but still pretty fast,” he explains, the bike roars to life and lifts off the ground slowly when he turns it on, the lights glowing, “Wanna try it out?”

Keith’s eyes practically sparkle like stars, “Really?!” he asks, looking between Shiro and the bike.

“It’s pretty different from a simulation but I’ll teach you,” Shiro replies with a grin, taking two pairs of goggles from his pocket. He tosses one to Keith and the other catches it, albeit with some fumbling, “Put those on, for the dust,” he says as he puts his on.

Once they’re both sporting the goggles, Shiro gestures toward the bike, “Go on and get on.”

Keith doesn’t need to be told twice and eagerly climbs onto the hoverbike, his feet just dangling off of the floor but he doesn’t mind at all. He grins and wraps his hands around the handles, “Woah! Wait just a minute. I’m not going to let you ride by yourself, you could get hurt,” Shiro interjects, “And I don’t want you to steal something else of mine,” he adds with a chuckle.

“O-oh yeah, sorry about that,” Keith says with a sheepish smile, “I just wanted to show her and get away after what she said to you.”

Nodding in understanding, Shiro turns off the bike and it lowers back down to the ground, “I understand, Keith. And what she said was wrong and, in my opinion, pretty rude. But stealing my car and driving off with it isn’t going to show her. It’ll just prove to her that all you are is an angry delinquent.”

Keith presses his lips together into a small frown and hangs his head, staying silent as he thinks over what Shiro said, “I guess...Are you gonna teach me or what?” he mutter after a while.

With a soft laugh, Shiro swings his leg over the bike and smoothly gets on behind Keith, his front pressed against Keith’s back, “Okay so we’ll start out slow. What you want to do is,” he pauses as he leans forward and moves his arms so that they’re around Keith and placing his hands over his on the handles.

“What you want to do is flip this switch right here to get the engine started,” he says and pushes Keith’s thumb down on the red switch, the machine whirring.

Keith’s cheeks are covered in a light blush, unsure how to feel about the closeness and intimacy of this position, the same warm feeling in his gut coming back, “O-okay,” he nods. He gasps as the hoverbike lifts up off the ground, dust and dirt being thrown up into the air, and tightens his grip on the handles.

Shiro turns Keith’s hand gently to twist the handle and the bike lifts up higher, the machine whirring louder and flying forward suddenly. Keith gasps and looks forward with wide eyes as they speed into the desert, heading towards an area with rock outcrops. 

“Wow,” the boy whispers, his hair blowing in the strong wind, “We’re going so fast!” he exclaims. 

“This isn’t even half of what this baby can do,” Shiro says playfully, showing Keith how he can track the speed of the bike on the screen as well as its charge, location and other data. Keith listens intently and lets Shiro control the bike, watching how he twists and maneuvers the handles to smoothly turn the bike right and left. 

Once Shiro has told Keith all the basics, he decides he’s ready to fly by himself, “Okay, I’m going to let go of the handles now and let you take control okay?” Keith nods eagerly and he removes his hands slowly.

“There’s a boulder coming up right there so why don’t you turn right around it,” Shiro suggests but Keith is already turning. It’s a rather rough maneuver and jostles the two of them a bit, “Try not to jerk the handles too much, you don’t need to be so forceful.”

Keith nods and notices a steep climb that would bring them up into the canyon. Grinning, he swerves off course and brings the hoverbike onto the ramp, within seconds they’re up into the canyon.

“W-woah Keith! I never told you to go there!” Shiro exclaims.

“I know,” Keith replies casually, “You said I had control though, right?”

Shiro furrows his brow and shakes his head at his recklessness, “I did say that but I didn’t-Go right!” he cuts himself off when he sees they’re close to hitting a dead end.

Without question, Keith turns right and they fly over the crevice, his stomach churning excitedly as they fall for a few seconds before landing on the other side and riding up the side. Keith laughs happily and speeds along the edge of the canyon, revving up the speed. 

Shiro is too busy fearing for their safety to be amazed at Keith’s skill, “There’s a cliff up ahead!” he yells over the sound of the engine, “We need to stop and go back!”

Leaning forward slightly, Keith takes the cliff as a challenge more than a danger and brings the bike up to full speed, “I can make it!” 

Shiro’s eyes widen and he grips onto him for dear life, “Keith!” he yells and they’re over the cliff. Keith grins as they free fall, watching as the ground quickly approaches them, “The pedals!” he hears Shiro yell from behind him. 

He glances down and sees the pedals under him, reaching for them with his feet. He’s an inch away from them but can’t reach down and they’re seconds away from crashing, the screen turning red and beeping to alert them, “I-I can’t reach!” he yells frantically.

Shiro grabs onto the handles and pushes his feet down on the pedals as he twists the handles. The hoverbike pulls up and the thrusters point down at the ground. Keith grunts when the bike lands quite roughly and feels his heart beat wildly in his chest. Shiro takes control of the bike, holding back the inevitable scolding, and turns them around, bringing them back to the safety of the flat desert. 

He slows down and pants hard, letting out a sigh in relief, “A cliff? Really?” he exclaims once he’s regained his composure. 

Keith hangs his head in shame and swallows down bitter bile, “I’m sorry,” he mutters, “Everyone’s right you know. You shouldn’t waste your time on me. I’m a fuckup.” 

“They’re wrong,” Shiro replies firmly, stopping once they’re near the school house. He slides off the bike and helps Keith off too, his expression still solemn, “Keith…” 

The boy takes off the goggles roughly and throws them against Shiro’s chest, “I told you, I’m not worth it! Stop trying to save me or whatever!” He starts to walk off, his face red from anger and embarrassment, but Shiro grabs his shoulder before he can. 

“You are worth it,” he says with a serious tone, turning the boy so he’s facing him, “I know you’re an extremely gifted person and I want to help you become the person I know you can be. Just let me help you, okay?”

Keith nibbles on the inside of his cheek and slouches slightly, “Why would you want to help me after I almost wrecked your bike?” he mumbles. 

Shiro’s expression softens and he chuckles, “Everyone makes mistakes, Keith. I know I sure did when I was a teenager. But it’s part of growing up into the great man you’ll be.”

Unable to hold back a smile, Keith finally looks up at him, “You don’t need to be so sappy.”

Shiro laughs and shakes his head a bit, “Alright, maybe that was a bit cheesy. But you do need to make mistakes to learn,” he replies, “Plus this bike is old anyways and I’m getting a brand new one from the Garrison.”

Keith perks up at that and glances at the hoverbike, “Really? So...what are you going to do with this one then?” he asks, failing to be casual.

“Oh, I don’t know,” he replies playfully, “Probably throw it away.”

“What?!” Keith exclaims, moving close to the bike, “You can’t do th-!” he cuts himself off when he turns to see Shiro’s grin. His frown curls into a smile, “What are you really going to do with it?”

Shiro shrugs a bit and runs his hand over the wing, “Probably pass it on to someone who deserves it, needs it, and has the skills to fly it,” he hums.

Tilting his head, Keith gives him a curious look, “You mean...me?” he questions hesitantly as he points at himself.

“Of course I mean you,” Shiro says with a grin, “Do you want it?”

Keith nods so fast his hair bounces, “Of course!” he chirps excitedly.

Shiro laughs softly and leans against the hoverbike, “You can have it then. After a few more lessons, of course. I want to know you won’t crash it.”

“I’ll take good care of it! I promise!” Keith cries out happily, “Thank you!” he tackles Shiro in an unexpected hug, his face pressed against the older man’s chest and his arms too short to wrap completely around his broad torso.

Shiro gasps at the sudden embrace and smiles fondly, slowly returning the hug, “You’re welcome. I’m sure you’ll be great.”

_____________________________________________________

A few weeks into Keith’s first year at the Garrison, he realizes he doesn’t get to see Shiro as much as he’d like to, both of them busy, him with training and Shiro with overseeing cadets and advancing his career. Keith doesn’t connect with any of his peers at the Garrison, most of them either ignoring him or being actively hostile towards him. He does his best to stay out of the way.

Keith feels the closest to Shiro, the man making sure he’s doing okay and backing him up when he needs to, so he seeks him out when they haven’t seen each other in a while. He walks down the clean, white hallway to Shiro’s room, having memorized where it is by now. 

An officer around Shiro’s age turns the corner and walks toward Keith, glasses perched perfectly on his face. He doesn’t seem to notice the other and pushes his dirty blonde, or it may be light brown, Keith was never good at discerning those things, out of his face.

When Keith is a few feet from Shiro’s door, the officer stops in front of it and knocks. He furrows his brow and watches the door swing open, Shiro coming out to greet him. Keith freezes and a gasp is caught in his throat when Shiro leans forward and kisses the man. Their lips touch for no more than a ten seconds but for Keith it feels like an eternity, his heart seizing up in his chest.

Blood rushes through his ears and he can’t hear what the two men say to each other, their bodies close and Shiro’s hands playfully touching the other’s waist. He meets Shiro’s gaze when he turns his head and quickly looks away, his cheeks red.

Shiro presses his lips together and quietly tells the man to go into his room and wait for him to join him. The other shrugs and does as he says, glancing at Keith curiously. Letting out a soft sigh, Shiro walks up to the cadet, “Hey Keith, did you need something from me?”

Still flustered, Keith struggles to respond, “I...N-no uh, I don’t remember...I forgot,” he stutters.

“Oh well, come find me if you remember,” he replies with a smile.

Shiro turns to head into his room when Keith finally looks up at him, “Who was that guy? The officer that you-” he cuts himself off and blushes harder.

“The guy that I kissed, you mean?” Shiro asks, getting a nod in reply, “His name is Adam. He’s my partner, my boyfriend.”

Keith takes a while to wrap his head around that even though it was quite obvious, “O-okay...So how long have you two been together. Since before you meet me?”

“It’s hard to say, Keith,” he muses, “We’ve known each other for years so it’s difficult to tell when a relationship like that officially becomes romantic. We’ve been dating for at least a year.” 

He fidgets with the fabric of his pants and doesn’t reply, not sure what to say, “Um, I’ll see you at dinner?” 

Shiro smiles fondly and ruffles his hair, “Probably, as long as I don’t get too busy.” He says goodbye and joins Adam in his room. Keith can hear muffled laughter and, even though he knows it’s not true, he can’t help feel they’re laughing at him.

Keith stays standing there for a while, still trying to process this, before he decides to head to the mess hall. He passes Shiro’s door and notices a small crack still open. He must not have closed it all the way. Keith can’t resist his curiosity and stops, slowly approaching the slit.

The young cadet’s eyes widen when he sees Shiro and Adam’s lips pressing together again, this time kissing each other more passionately. Adam lets out a breathy sigh and Shiro presses closer, pushing his tongue inside the other’s mouth. Keith’s heart beats incredibly fast and his whole body feels flushed, unable to look away and leave like he knows he should.

Adam grabs onto Shiro’s jacket and pulls it off of him, Shiro eagerly helping him remove it. Keith’s eyes widen when he sees his friend’s muscled arms and torso stretching against the tight shirt. His head spins and he struggles to understand the countless thoughts and emotions running through his head. 

When Adam slips his hands under Shiro’s shirt, revealing his toned abdomen, blood rushes down to Keith’s nether regions and he panics, shame and guilt washing over him. He stumbles down the hallway, heading to his room, and keeps his eyes on the ground, hoping that no one notices the tightness of his pants. 

The lights are off when he rushes into his room but Keith doesn’t bother turning them on and just collapses on his bed, still panting. He stares up at the bottom of the bunk above of him, thankful his roommate isn’t here, and tries his best to calm down. Keith closes his eyes but thoughts of Shiro and his well build body and his gorgeous laugh and tender smile plague his mind. 

_Strong hands rubbing his waist and hot breath on his neck. A piercing gaze meets his nervous one but he relaxes when he feels calloused fingers tracing his side, “I want you, Keith,” Shiro’s voice whispers huskily, “I want to make you feel so good.” His hand caresses his pale stomach and moves down lower and-_

Keith sits suddenly with a gasp, nearly hitting the bottom of the bunk, and tries to shake the thoughts away, his erection only throbbing more. He lets out a confused whimper and lays back down on the wrinkled sheets, running his fingers through his hair and gripping it tightly. “What’s wrong with me?” he whispers to himself, as he tugs on his hair, feeling incredibly guilty for thinking about his friend like this. 

He tries to wait for his erection to go down but it persists, as do his thoughts of Shiro. Even as he makes an effort to try not to think of him, what he saw through the crack in his door always comes back to haunt him. Keith lets out a defeated sigh and moves his hands down to unbutton his pants. 

Keith fumbles a bit before he gets his pants open and pushes the fabric down just enough so he can take his length out. He groans lowly as he wraps his hand around his cock, the coarse hair at the base brushing against his skin. Keith lets his eyes flutter closed and allows his fantasy to take over.

 _Soft lips pepper kisses over his neck and collarbone while Shiro experly undoes his pants. He chuckles at the desperate sound he makes when his calloused hands wrap around his cock, almost able to completely engulf his below average member._ He tightens his grip and starts stroking himself slowly, gripping his shirt tightly as he lets a soft moan slip from his lips. 

_“You’re so pretty, Keith,” his deep voice whispers against his neck, leaving dark marks on his pale skin, “I love all your cute sounds, baby.”_ Pleasure quickly pools in Keith’s gut and his hand goes faster, seemingly on its own. He slides his thumb over the head like he imagines Shiro would, teasing himself and spreading the thick precum over the head. 

Keith’s hips arch up slightly, as does his back, and he presses his head back against his pillow, his hair spread over it beautifully. He strokes himself faster, twisting his hand slightly with each upstroke, and his chest rising and falling rapidly. _“You gonna come for me, baby?” Shiro’s voice is husky and laced with arousal, his eyes playful as he leans down to run his tongue over the tip of his cock._

“Y-yes,” he chokes out, his voice much high-pitched than he expected, “I’m gonna come for you.” He holds in his moans as much as he can and bucks his hips erratically, grunting when he releases over his hand, his whole body pulling tight. Keith rides out his orgasm and keeps stroking until he grows soft. 

He collapses against the mattress and struggles to catch his breath, looking down at his dirty hand and frowning before he wipes it off on the sheets. He closes his eyes for a while and, once his heart rate is mostly back to normal, he rolls over to curl up on his side. 

A sudden wave of shame washes over him when he realizes what he just did and who he thought of. His mentor and friend. Someone who trusts him. And is in a relationship. Keith sighs shakily and covers his face with his hand, feeling his eyes water. He doesn’t know how he’ll ever look at Shiro in the same way again.

_____________________________________________________

“-t need to protect me! This is something I need to do for myself,” Keith stops when he hear Shiro’s voice, just about to enter one of the common rooms. He keeps his back against the wall and stays hidden from view.

“There’s nothing left for you to prove. You’ve broken every record there is to break,” he hears another man reply and frowns when he can’t seem to place his voice. Keith leans forward just slightly so he can see him through the glass, “I know I can’t stop you but I won’t go through this again.” 

Keith recognizes Adam quickly and glances at Shiro, his friend on the couch and slouching forward, a solemn look on his face. Adam stands up and turns his head to look at his partner, “So if you decide to go, don’t expect me to be here when you get back.” Shiro’s expression falls and he doesn’t look at Adam as the man grabs his bag and leaves without another word. 

Holding in a gasp, Keith processes what he just eavesdropped on and is about to leave when he sees Shiro frown deeply and knit his brows together in concentration. He can’t let himself leave when his friend is so obviously distraught and enters the room slowly, “Shiro?” he asks hesitantly. 

Shiro is pulled from his thoughts and looks up at Keith, “Oh hey...You heard us, didn’t you?” he asks, guessing that’s why the cadet looks so worried. 

Keith grips the fabric of his pants and looks down, “Yeah, sorry about that,” he mutters, feeling guilty. He glances up and sees Shiro has moved over to make room on the couch.

“Don’t worry about it, sit down with me,” he suggests as he pats the spot next to him. Keith smiles faintly and joins him, keeping some distance between the two of them since he doesn’t want to make Shiro uncomfortable, especially during a time like this. 

“So...what happened?” Keith asks awkwardly after a moment of silence, “I mean, I can guess but I thought you might want to talk about it.”

Shiro leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees, clasping his hands together and letting them hang between his legs, “I guess it would be good to talk about it. Well you know about the Kerberos mission and I was talking to Adam about it but he really doesn’t want me to go.”

Keith furrows his brow and holds back his anger, “Why not?”

“It’s about my disease,” Shiro says with a sad sigh, rubbing his wrist on instinct, “He doesn’t say it outright but he doesn’t think I should go because of it, it’s probably partly because he’s afraid, but it frustrates me that he doesn’t think I can do this just because of that.” He lets out a sigh in frustration and leans back against the couch, turning his head to look at Keith, “Anyways, I’m sure you heard that last part. If I decide to go, our relationship will be more or less over.”

Keith’s eyes widen and he clenches his fists, “That’s...That’s such a shitty thing to do. To make you decide between him and your career. He should be supporting you! Not holding you back,” he exclaims.

Smiling fondly, Shiro can’t help chuckle and takes a deep breath, “That’s very sweet of you and I guess you’re right but I do understand where Adam is coming from. Sometimes love makes you do things like that.”

Keith holds back his protest and presses his lips together, “So what are you going to do? I mean, I guess you have to choose at some point.”

Shiro’s smile fades and he tilts his head up towards the ceiling, looking through the glass and up at the night sky, “I’m don’t know yet. I only have a few years left until I won’t be able to go into space anymore so this is my only opportunity. But then again, what I have with Adam is a once in a lifetime sort of thing too.”

“I don’t think that’s necessarily true,” Keith mumbles, not daring to look up at the other.

Shiro tears his eyes away from the stars and looks at Keith with a confused expression, “What do you mean?”

Keith huffs and meets his gaze, “You can find someone else. Someone better,” he says firmly, “Someone who would support your dream. But you won’t be able to go on a mission like this ever again.”

Shiro swallows thickly and isn’t sure why he’s surprised by Keith’s forwardness, “I don’t know about finding someone else...But you are right about the mission,” he pauses to think for a moment, “If I go, will you come with me to see me off?” 

Keith feels his heart clenche and he nods quickly, “Of course,” he replies with hesitation, honoring that Shiro would choose him to be there for him, “I’ll be there. You never gave up on me so I won’t give up on you.”

After a few weeks, Keith is thrilled that Shiro has secured his position on the Kerberos mission. The night before he leaves, his friends throw him a celebration and he brings Keith along, the two of them being the only ones who don’t drink. 

As promised, Keith accompanies Shiro to the launch pad and stares up at the large spaceship in awe, “Wow, you’re going to pilot that? Are you sure you can do that?” he asks teasingly.

Shiro shots him a playful glare and nudges his side, “Of course I can. And I won’t be doing it alone,” he says as he spots one of the windows on the ship. He points at it, “Oh you see that?”

Keith furrows his brow and tries to see where he’s pointing, “No?” Shiro places his hand on his shoulder and maneuvers him so he’s facing it, “That window, there.”

“Oh yeah! What is that?” Keith asks curiously, his cheeks warm from the hand on his shoulder.

“That’s where my room is,” he replies proudly, grinning at him.

Leaning into the touch slight, Keith returns the smile, “It’s kinda small, isn’t it?”

Shiro laughs and rolls his eyes, “I’ll only really sleep in there so it’ll be fine.” Keith hums in reply and keeps looking up at the ship. “Keith,” Shiro says in a soft tone after a while.

“Mhm?” Keith lifts his head up and meets his serious gaze.

“You’ll wait for me, right?” he asks, a hint of desperation in his voice.

Keith’s expression softens and he smiles reassuringly, “Of course I’ll wait for you. I’ll wait as long as it takes,” he says firmly, “And then you get back, I’ll have graduated.”

Shiro gives an almost goofy grin and squeezes his shoulder, “You better be or else I’ll raise hell with Iverson,” he says with a laugh.

_____________________________________________________

Drops of blood roll down Keith’s fist and both his hands ache but all he feels is his adrenaline. He storms out of Iverson’s office, ready to gather his things and leave the Garrison for good, bu collides head on with someone.

“Hey watch where you’re g-” he growls as he looks up, rubbing his head, and sees how he bumped into, “O-oh, Adam. It’s you.”

Adam fixes his glasses and nods, “Yeah, it’s me,” he replies, his tone flat, “What’s going on Keith? You didn’t get into another fight, did you?” he asks, noticing his wounded hands.

Keith clenches his jaw and shrugs, “Yeah but it doesn’t matter anymore. I’m leaving,” he says as he pushes past him. 

Adam grabs onto his arm before he can pass by him, “What do you mean you’re leaving?”

Tugging his arm out of his grip, “I mean I’m leaving the Garrison. They refuse to listen to me and I know that whatever happened to Shiro wasn’t pilot error. He was the best pilot here! They’re fucking hiding something!” his voice rises until he’s shouting.

Adam sighs heavily at that and runs his fingers through his hair, “Look, I know you’re in grief right now and frustrated about what happened to Shiro, believe me I am too, but we should trust the Garrison. I always had a bad feeling about him going up there.”

Keith turns beet red and he grinds his teeth, “Trust the Garrison my ass! What happened wasn’t Shiro’s fault and I can’t believe you’re not fighting them on this! You’re just going to give up!? Did you even love him at all?!” he screams, his chest heaving.

Only a handful of people have ever seen Adam angry and it’s a cold, stoic rage that would make anyone’s blood run cold, “Of course I loved him!” he snaps, “But he made his choice. He chose the mission over me and now I’m going to move on. That’s what he would have wanted.”

Adam starts to walk past him and Keith turns, following him down the hallway, “That’s what he would have wanted!? You’re talking about him like he’s dead and he’s not!” he yells, his voice cracking, “I’m never going to stop looking for him! Unlike you, I love him no matter what!” 

Adam stops in his tracks at the confession but doesn't turn around, Keith staring at the back of his head, at this point not caring what he said. He’s out of here in a few minutes anyways. Adam just lets out a sigh and keeps walking, eventually turning a corner and leaving Keith being, angry and determined.

_____________________________________________________

“I’m afraid the clone body is rejecting Shiro’s consciousness,” Allura says sadly, Shiro’s body irrely still under the blue barrier of the pod.

Keith refuses to accept failure and turns to look at Allura, “There must be some way you can help,” he says desperately, his voice raspy. 

Alura closes his eyes and frowns, “There’s nothing I can do,” she replies hopelessly.

He starts at her in shock before rushing to the pod, banging his fist against the pod, “Shiro please! I-” _I need you._ He cuts himself off and squeezes his eyes closed, his voice wavering, “You can’t do this to me again.”

After a tense moment of desperation, Keith hears a quiet beep come from the pod and he opens his eyes to see the hologram is now yellow. He lifts his head and quickly steps back to let the pod open.

“Shiro?” he chokes out as he leans forward, the other’s head moving slightly before he opens his eyes.

“Keith,” he whispers, immediately recognizes him, “I was dreaming. Keith...you saved me.”

Smiling tenderly, Keith leans down and hugs Shiro, tucking his head against his shoulder, “We saved each other.” Shiro brings his arm up slowly and wraps it around his torso, inhaling his scent as he closes his eyes for a moment.

Keith forces himself to pull back after a while but stays close to Shiro’s side, “Do...Do you remember?” he asks hesitantly, not sure he wants to know the answer.

Shiro opens his mouth to ask but closes it when he sees they’re not alone, glancing at Allura and Krolia. “We’ll give you some time alone,” Allura says, giving a small tilt of her head to gesture for Krolia to follow her. The Galran nods and looks at her son for a moment before giving the two of them space.

Thankful for the privacy, Shiro smiles and sits up slowly with Keith’s help, “I remember most of the clone’s memories, some parts are missing but I know what happened,” he replies, staring at the scar on Keith’s face before looking down in shame, “I-I’m so sorry for what I did Keith...Those horrible things I said. I don’t believe any of it an-”

“That wasn’t you, Shiro,” Keith cuts him off and puts a hand on his shoulder, “That was all Haggar so you don’t need to apologize for any of it, okay?” he says, giving him a reassuring smile.

Shiro seems to relax slightly and looks down at the stump of his missing arm, “I guess I’ll have to find another arm,” he chuckles, trying to lighten the mood, “Hopefully not a Galran one.”

“I’m sure Pidge will be able to wipe something up in no time,” he replies with a smile. They’re silent for a few moments. The air heavy around them.

“What about-”

“Did you m-” 

They start at the same time before cutting off. Keith’s cheeks flush lightly and he laughs lightly, “Uh you can go first, if you want.”

Shiro shrugs a bit, “Okay,” he pauses, his fingers playing with the edge of the armor on his leg, “Did you mean what you said during...during the fight?”

Keith’s cheeks only get darker and he takes a deep breath, “Yes, I meant everything I said,” he says firmly, the two years he had to grow giving him the confidence he needs to admit it.

Shocked by Keith’s forwardness, Shiro raises his brow and nods slowly, “When you said you love me you d-”

“I mean it, Shiro. I love you,” Keith gazes at him intensely and scoots closer to take his hand, lacing their fingers together, “I love you with everything I’ve got. Since the Garrison even.”

Shiro’s heart flutters and his eyes widen, “S-since the Garrison?” he whispers, “When I was...Oh Keith, you had to see me and Adam-I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

Keith smiles softly and squeezes his hand, “I know you didn’t know. And I know you and Adam really had something. It did hurt but you deserve to be with someone that makes you happy and I know you just see me as a kid or your brother or whatever an-”

Shiro tugs on Keith’s hand and leans forward, pressing their lips together into a passionate kiss. Keith is taken completely by surprise and takes a few second to return it, scrambling to cup Shiro’s cheek and kiss him back. Their lips slide against each other wonderfully. The heat of the kiss soon builds and Shiro forces himself to break it, “You can still be so stupid, Keith,” Shiro pants, their faces still just inches apart.

Blushing hard, Keith laughs and bats his chest lightly, “You should have warned me...So you feel the same way?” he asks, needing to hear it from him.

Shiro cups his face with both hands and looks deep into his eyes, “Of course I do, Keith. I love you.”

Keith sports a silly grin and pulls Shiro into a tight hug, clinging onto him, “I’ll never give up on you.”

“You never have.”

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I do take requests/commissions; contact me on my [ tumblr ](http://being-gay-on-ice.tumblr.com/) or leave a comment on this fic!


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